Q and A with Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission Greg Sirb

It’s been eight long years since a boxing ring last sat in the middle of the Zembo Shrine Auditorium, but that will all change tonight when Payton Promotions presents its Capital Punishment boxing card featuring six professional fights including Harrisburg native Josh Bowles.

Overseeing the action will be Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, Greg Sirb, a former amateur boxer and huge boxing fan. Sirb has been waiting patiently for the day a fight card returned to the area.

Q: Can you describe how you feel that boxing has finally returned to Harrisburg? A: It means a lot. The Zembo is one of the nicest, most unique spots in the state when it comes to pro boxing. There’s not a bad seat in that whole arena, it’s gorgeous. It’s a great place to see a fight, a great atmosphere. I think it means a lot and Harrisburg fans are good boxing fans. Q: Judging by how long it’s been since we’ve had a card here, has the response to this one been good? A: I think it has. I’m anxious to see what the ticket sales will be like. He’s got good, young kids on the card. I think everybody has been waiting for Josh Bowles to turn pro. Steve Weimer out of York is a big time kid right now. Everybody is waiting to see if he can make his move. I think it’s a good combination, the right people are on the card. Hopefully the weather is nice and we have a lot of people there.

Q: The biggest one I remember at the Zembo was the last one the late Julian Letterlough fought on. A: Julian Letterlough....it was standing room only, you couldn’t move. Nobody could punch like Julian Letterlough.

Q: What did Julian mean to the local boxing community and is there potential for some of the these younger boxers like Josh Bowles to get the following like Julian had? A: To get the following you have to have a good local kid that people like to watch. That’s the key, it has to be an exciting kid. Letterlough was a big puncher knocking everybody out. People wanted to come see that. I think Josh can be that way. He’s built up a following because of his amateur days. He’s probably fought in the greater Harrisburg area 20 or 30 times in the last year or two. He’s probably got a nice following already because of that but you’ve got to have that kid that has a little spark. Q: When Payton Promotions came to you and told you they wanted to put on a card at the Zembo what was going through your mind? Were you pumped about it yourself? Does the fan in you come out when you hear that? A: It does. As long as I’ve been here, I’m still a fan at heart. Particularly when they mentioned the Zembo, I said that is such a great place to watch a fight. I got excited. I really did. That’s one spot where I can say, ‘let’s do it.’ The Zembo’s got a name, people know about it. Even when I was coming up through the ranks as an amateur fighter I went to see a fight there and I was only 20, 21-years old coming from Western Pennsylvania watch one of my partners fight. It’s just a great place.

Q: There’s so much history there. Now the local MMA group is running shows there, boxing is back, you can even go back to people who used to watch professional wrestling there. Is the Zembo a place where fans go because of the venue and not necessarily the event? A: It’s getting that way. In Pennsylvania the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia is that way. People go because the fight is at the Blue Horizon. That’s the place to be seen. I think in the Central Pennsylvania area if you mention the Zembo, everybody knows it. That’s all you’ve got to mention. Q: What about the new long term future for boxing in the area? Is this something that can get boxing back on the marquee here in the area? A: I think it can. The big part to bring boxing back, you’ve got to have good, solid, amateur gyms in the area that produce the fighters. That’s first and foremost. As long as the greater Harrisburg area is producing top amateur kids, those amateur kids will get a following and when they turn pro that following will come see them. That’s how you build the bigs.

Related Stories

Featured Story

Get 'Today's Front Page' in your inbox

This newsletter is sent every morning at 6 a.m. and includes the morning's top stories, a full list of obituaries, links to comics and puzzles and the most recent news, sports and entertainment headlines.

optionalCheck here if you do not want to receive additional email offers and information.See our privacy policy

Thank you for signing up for 'Today's Front Page'

To view and subscribe to any of our other newsletters, please click here.